Eyewear news and archive

Modo Group acquires eyewear brand Italia Independent

Modo Group has acquired eyewear label Italia Independent for an undisclosed sum. The group, which produces and distributes the Modo and Eco brands, and which has been in the independent eyewear industry since 1990, said its know-how will be a “key factor” in the new direction of the Italian brand, which was founded by Lapo Elkann. “I have always...

BusinessFeatured

Neso Brands invests in French eyewear label Le Petit Lunetier

Swedish-led, Singapore-based Neso Brands, part of the Lenskart Group, has acquired a significant stake in Paris-based omnichannel eyewear brand Le Petit Lunetier after investing 4 million US dollars. The investment marks Neso Brand’s first in Europe and marks a major milestone venture as it continues to strengthen its portfolio of international...

Fashion

Marcolin and MCM announce new eyewear partnership

German luxury leather goods and accessories brand MCM has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Italian eyewear manufacturer Marcolin for the design, production and worldwide distribution of its eyewear until December 31, 2028. In a statement, both companies shared that Marcolin will develop MCM's eyewear collections “following the...

BusinessFeatured

Thélios acquires French eyewear brand Vuarnet

Thélios, the eyewear division of French luxury conglomerate LVMH, has acquired French high-end sunglasses brand Vuarnet from NEO Investment Partners. The deal marks the first brand acquisition for Thélios, which designs, produces and distributes eyewear for a number of LVMH houses, including Dior, Fendi, Celine, Loewe, Kenzo and Stella...

Business

EssilorLuxottica posts increase in Q2 revenue amid China rebound

Eyewear manufacturer EssilorLuxottica has reported an 8 percent increase in revenue in the second quarter as it benefited from a strong rebound in China. The French-Italian luxury group made revenue of 6.7 billion euros in the three months to June 30 compared to 6.4 billion euros a year earlier. The group experienced double-digit EMEA growth,...

Fashion

Safilo and Tommy Hilfiger renew eyewear licensing agreement

American fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger, owned by PVH Corp., has signed an early renewal of its global eyewear licensing agreement with the Safilo Group. Under the renewed arrangement, the Italian-based Safilo will continue to be responsible for designing, manufacturing and distributing Tommy Hilfiger-branded sunglasses and optical eyewear...

Business

Safilo Group to end Jimmy Choo partnership, issues update on Longarone plant talks

Eyewear manufacturer and distributor Safilo Group has announced that it will be terminating its contract with the luxury brand Jimmy Choo. Reasons for ending the deal were not disclosed, however a statement from the company stated that the licensing agreement for the design, production and distribution of the house’s eyewear collection was to “...

Fashion

Reebok announces smart eyewear deal with Innovative Eyewear

Authentic Brands Group, the global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform, which owns sportswear brand Reebok has signed a multi-year global licensing agreement with Innovative Eyewear, Inc., the developer and retailer of smart eyewear under the Lucyd, Nautica and Eddie Bauer brands. In a statement, Innovative Eyewear said the...

Fashion

Etro and Safilo ink eyewear licensing deal

Italian fashion label Etro has signed a ten-year global licensing deal with the Safilo Group to design, manufacture, and distribute its branded eyewear collections. Etro said that Safilo would launch its first eyewear collection, featuring sunglasses and optical frames, for the spring/summer 2024 season, under the creative direction of Marco De...

People

Jins appoints global chief creative officer

Tokyo-based eyewear brand Jins has appointed Paul Nixon, Apple's former creative director, as its new global chief creative officer. In a statement, Jins said that Nixon joining the eyewear brand would help it grow its presence globally, and Nixon would be a “major driving force in realising Jins' innovative products, new customer experiences,...

Fashion

Smart eyewear gets a 3D makeover

Vuzix, a prominent Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology supplier, has joined forces with Materialise, a pioneer in 3D printing, to expedite the design and production of smart eyewear using 3D printing technology. The collaboration aims to accelerate the development of innovative enterprise applications and enable third-party...

Business

Bulgari and Thélios announce strategic eyewear partnership

Thélios, the eyewear division of LVMH, has signed an exclusive partnership with Bulgari for the creation, manufacturing, and global distribution of its eyewear. In a statement, both brands said that the partnership starting in January 2024 would “combine Italian design and craftsmanship between heritage and visionary creativity” to grow Bulgari’...